Even OG is not safe from the visa issue hounding many pro teams entering the 2022 Arlington Major.
As OG captain Mikhail "Misha" Agatov was denied a visa coming into the United States, the pro team announced that Sébastien "Ceb" Debs would be returning from his retirement to stand in for the team in the upcoming PGL Arlington Major 2022.
Ceb Is Back to Guide OG 'Younglings'
These recent developments were a surprise as Ceb announced his retirement from the competitive Dota scene in November last year.
In Dota history, Ceb is the first and only French player to win the International. In 2019, Ceb was the first two-time TI winner after winning two consecutive TIs (TI8 and TI9. He achieved this during OG's historic campaign with N0tail, ana, Topson, and JerAx in 2019.
Veteran Ceb's experience can prove to be a valuable tool for OG's attempt to grab the coming Major.
Also Read: Riyadh Masters 2022: PSG.LGD Takes Revenge Win Against TI10 Champs
As the organization share on its official website, the team's coach Evgenii "Chuvash" Makarov, also failed to secure a visa to the United States, therefore also failing to take part in the Arlington Major in person.
Despite failing to make it to the Major, Misha and coach Chuvash will still be 'working with the team remotely' and provide support to the squad from home instead.
OG Head Mike Schwarts wrote that although the team had completed and received both B and P visa approvals for the entire team in a timely manner, they were still unable to secure the required documents to finalize the process with Misha and Chuvash.
Schwarts also added that this was an issue facing many of the participating teams that are having stand-ins at the event due to the current immigration climate and USCIS backlog.
Despite the team's struggles, Schwart expressed that they are grateful that Ceb once again stepped into the roster and that they are also hopeful that Ceb could guide the OG 'younglings' to an Arlington Major victory.
Visa Issues Continue to Haunt Arlington Major Teams
Visa issues continue to haunt participating teams in the upcoming major. Due to the same issue, the Chinese pro Dota team Xtreme Gaming backed out from the competition after their carry player 'lou' was denied a visa coming into the United States. Several other teams had to make last-minute stand-ins as many other players faced the wrath of tight immigration protocols.
The PGL Arlington Major 2022 will take place at Esports Stadium Arlington from August 4 to 14. Coming into the competition are the biggest teams and names in Dota 2. Can fans still expect exciting games and match-ups despite many teams' issues before stepping into the competition?
The PGL Arlington Major promises a total prize pool of USD$ 500,000. There will be 17 teams vying for the title and the chance to grab 820 DPC 2021-2022-season rating points that are key to advancing to TI11.
Stay tuned for the latest updates as developments come by the minute.
Related Article: Why Did Xtreme Gaming Back Out From the PGL Arlington Major?
